MR. FLEISCHER: Good morning. All right. The President began his
day with an intelligence briefing before he left the White House. He
also signed into law the continuing resolution funding the government
through November 24th -- I want to return to that topic in -- through
November 22nd, I want to return to that topic in a second.

The President will campaign today on behalf of Jim Talent's race
for the Senate, and Dan Clemens race for the State Senate, which is an
important race in Missouri, which could determine control of the State
Senate. He will speak in Springfield.

And in his speech, both in Springfield and in Minnesota I
anticipate that you will hear a new element to the President's remarks,
where he is now going to start to bring home the message on a
state-by-state specific basis about what tax relief has meant to the
people of Missouri, of Minnesota. Specifically, he'll talk about how
much money has been saved by families in Missouri, in Minnesota, as a
result of the child tax credit, as a result of the income tax cut, as
the result of the death tax relief, marriage penalty relief, child
credit relief. So it's a way of bringing home to people in the states
what tax relief means to them.

The President will leave Missouri, where he will then head to
Rochester, Minnesota, where he will campaign on behalf of Norm Coleman,
as well as Tim Pawlenty, candidate for governor.

Before I take your questions, I want to just advise you about a
couple things. One, the President this morning signed the continuing
resolution into law. For the first time in probably a decade, Congress
has left town before an election without going on a spending spree
using taxpayer's money. Typically, when Congress leaves, they pay an
exit fee, where spending is increased above and beyond what the
Congressional budget authorized, and the taxpayers are always the
victims.

This year, the chain was broken. There's a new sheriff in town,
and he's dedicated to fiscal discipline. And Congress for the first
time in a decade has listened to the new sheriff.

Also -- and on that we have a fact sheet we can distribute that
shows the spending patterns of recent years compared to this year.
We'll get that for you, but Claire Buchan has it.

The President today will also tape a message for the people of
Australia, to note the tragedy that took place in the terrorist attack
in Bali. It will be a message of sympathy and solidarity with the
people of Australia. We'll distribute to you the remarks that the
President will make.

And, finally, in the radio address that you will get tonight, it
will be a news-making radio address. The radio address is going to
focus on pension protections for Americans. The President is going to
focus and take action on the domestic economy. The President will talk
about the importance of strengthening the retirement security of
America's workers. More than 40 million Americans saved for their
retirement through 401(k) accounts. These are an integral part part of
how the American people plan for their future.

The President will announce action that is going to be taking place
on Monday, by his administration, to protect people's pensions. And so
through the regular rule making process of the federal government,
action will be taken. The action will be announced on Monday by the
Department of Labor. The President will get into the specifics of it
tonight in his radio address. So I want to highlight that for you.

Q The State Senator that he's campaigning for is Dan
Clemens. Can you spell "Dan" and "Clemens"?

MR. FLEISCHER: Dan, d-a-n, as in Dan Bartlett, but it's not Dan
Bartlett, it's Dan Clemens, but it's as if Dan Bartlett --

Q C-l-e-m-m-o-n-s?

MR. FLEISCHER: C-l-e-m-e-n-s. It's Dan as in Dan Bartlett, it's
Clemens, as in Roger Clemens -- not to be confused with Roger
Bartlett.

MR. FLEISCHER: The talks with the United Nations and our allies
are going well. The talks are ongoing. There's more work to do. But
talks are going well.

Q Are we going to see the proposal soon, though? I mean, by
next week, do you think?

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not going to make any predictions as far as the
day. The U.N. is always hard to predict. It remains a diplomatic
effort. There remain discussions that are taking place -- and they're
important discussions. There's no telling what their final outcome
will be. We are hopeful the outcome will be a good one.

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not going to comment specifically about that
report. But let me give you this information to be helpful. Since
September 11th, we've developed a very different relationship with many
of the countries on whom North Korea traditionally relies for
technology, economic and diplomatic support. These countries want good
and improved relations with the United States, and they have no
interest in a nuclearized North Korea.

We also have close allies to whom North Korea is turning in
desperation for economic health. These nations also want a good
relationship with the United States. They, too, don't have an interest
in a nuclearized peninsula. We have alliances that we will work with,
through, to talk about these issues and about how to deal with any
threats to the region. North Korea depends on outside help to sustain
its collapsing economic system and to feed its people. North Korea has
an interest to make certain that the regional neighbors don't view
North Korean actions with alarm.

So taken together, we have an opportunity to begin to address this
problem with an international coalition and we're going to work with
our allies and friends and partners on it.

MR. FLEISCHER: I don't remember anybody saying it was disastrous
that they weren't spending -- passing the spending bills --

Q You were calling on them to pass them --

MR. FLEISCHER: -- compared to previous congresses they weren't
getting their work done, which is a fact. They haven't passed the
appropriation bills --

Q -- the result?

MR. FLEISCHER: Here's where it stands. It is a clear break from
the recent pattern. It's notable. It is a change in how Washington
has done its business. For years, particularly in the '90s, Congress
would leave town under great pressure from the President to break the
budget and spend more money. Congress would call paying an exit fee in
order to get out of town. And Congress would violate its own budget
and bid up spending, taking money from the taxpayers on all kinds of
government programs, in return for being able to leave town.

Since President Bush insisted on fiscal discipline, Congress so far
has not busted the budget. That's the --

Q (Inaudible.)

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm getting there. The good news is, typically the
most pressure to spend comes before an election. Because of the
President's leadership on fiscal discipline, Congress resisted the urge
to spend more taxpayer money before the election. That's the good
news.

The bad news is, we're not out of the woods yet. Congress is going
to return for an unusual lame duck session, and there's no telling how
that will turn out. But the trend has been broken. The greatest
pressure comes immediately before an election. And it's worth noting.
The President campaigned on changing the tone in Washington and
changing Washington's big spending ways is an important way to change
the tone.

And the numbers are dramatic. The average amount of spending the
Congress has done, above and beyond what they promised in their own
budget for the last decade is $29 billion a year. This year, they held
the line prior to the election. And the taxpayers are the
beneficiaries. The only reason it has happened is because President
Bush put his foot down and said, Congress you need to exercise fiscal
discipline.

You make a valid point: we are not out of the woods yet. A lame
duck is looming, let's see what happens. But there's good news so
far.

Q But, essentially, the numbers are low also because they've
only done two appropriations bills?

MR. FLEISCHER: Absolutely. Yes. But the continuing resolutions
were clean. And in the past Congress jammed through those
appropriation bills knowing they could get more money attached to
them. One of the reasons they didn't jam them through is because the
President was protecting the taxpayers. And that's why it's an
unfinished story -- there's no doubt about it. But the trend has been
the Congress busts its own budget prior to the election. That trend is
broken.

Q Also when you talk about Bush put his foot down and there's
a new sheriff in town and they're listening to the sheriff, there are
several other issues on which they, you know, completely blew him off.
He asked for terrorism insurance, you know, two Fridays ago. He asked
for a defense appropriations bill, you know, first and foremost. They
thumbed his nose at him.

So how can you claim that, you know, he's put his foot down and
Congress has followed along, when there are all these other failures at
which they said, take a hike, we're going to do what we want to do?

MR. FLEISCHER: My remarks were directed at the appropriation
process. I had began it by saying the President signed a C.R. this
morning and the issue is domestic spending. Of course, there are other
issues where the Congress has not done everything the President asked.
But it is a verifiable fact that, on the appropriations, where
taxpayers' dollars are spent, the trend has been broken, the spending
streak has been snapped prior to an election.

Now, on defense appropriations, they passed it and the President
will sign it. He's looking forward to signing it. The President said
it's important for Congress to pass defense appropriations first,
Congress listened to the President. I believe the same is true on
military construction. I'll have to verify that.

So they did listen to the President on the appropriations process.
Terrorism insurance, we're still working it. We'll see if we are able
to, even now as Congress is in somewhat of a stage of adjournment,
subject to the call of the Chair, whether terrorism insurance can cross
the finish line. That remains an open question even this morning.

Now there are other issues, homeland security, where, of course,
there still remain differences between the President and the Congress.
No one is saying that the Congress has agreed to everything the
President has asked for, they haven't. But you have to measure change
where change occurs. And on spending, change has occurred.

Q Back on North Korea, were the countries that provided
assistance I realize you're not naming them that provided
assistance to North Korea, do they risk being cut off from U.S.
assistance?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, yes, since September 11th, many things that
people may have done years before September 11th or some time before
September 11th, have changed. September 11th changed the world and it
changed many nations' behaviors along with it. And don't read that to
be any type of acknowledgment of what may or may not be true. But
September 11th did change the world.

Q So are you willing to sort of forgive and forget, given
that things are different now?

MR. FLEISCHER: I don't think that's a fair way to describe
things. The United States is committed to anti-proliferation and we're
going to work hard to make that the case in all regions of the world.

Q Are you offering any more particulars on the radio
address? Is that all we're going to hear today?

MR. FLEISCHER: No, because this gaggle is on the record and it's
immediately usable. So I cannot get into the substance of what the
President will announce. But I do want to bring reporters' attention
to the fact it will be a newsworthy radio address.

Q I'm just wondering how that how that will work with sort
of rolling out the the advantages of the tax cut today? So that
is that being done in the context of the Talent campaign or

MR. FLEISCHER: -- going to state the economic facts, and that is
that the tax cut has benefitted the people of all 50 states and he'll
have specific information for the people of Missouri and Minnesota.

MR. FLEISCHER: Right now it looks like we have one more party
fundraiser, but clearly that phase is, if not over, almost over. One
party fundraiser remains. And now it's really, get out the vote,
support the candidates.

Q Is the President pleased with his fundraising success,
record breaking --

MR. FLEISCHER: The President is pleased by the amount of support
the American people have shown for the candidates, his agenda that he
supports, yes.

Q Ari, have you been following the Doonsbury strip this
week?

MR. FLEISCHER: I like to look at each of my days beginning with a
cartoon, indeed. I have. I am a strong supporter of increased per
diems worldwide for all working people. (Laughter.)

Q Thanks a lot.

MR. FLEISCHER: Are we done? It's hilarious. (Laughter.)

Q Can you give us some background on the --

MR. FLEISCHER: Let me --

Q In addition to his pension proposal that's already in --

MR. FLEISCHER: What I want to -- I'm going to walk through a
little more detail on the radio address to help people, but
understanding the information, on a substantive level, will not come
out until tonight, in its usual embargoed farm.

Q Is this on or off the record?

MR. FLEISCHER: This is on the record.

Earlier this year the President made five proposals to help protect
retirement savings for America's workers. The Congress took action on
two. It has failed to take action on three. The President urges the
Congress to finish its work, so people can have fully protected
pensions. But the government is moving forward, and will take action
on the areas where Congress has already passed laws. We want to move
forward aggressively, to be helpful and to protect people's pensions.

Also, the President will use his administrative authorities to take
action on the domestic front. And you will hear that in the radio
address tonight.

Q I don't understand.

MR. FLEISCHER: The domestic agenda is always important. The
President will act on it. This involves rule making, I said.

Q So he's acting on the two that they've passed, as you say?

MR. FLEISCHER: -- I said it earlier. This involves the Department
of Labor and its rule making authority on Monday.

Q On the two that Congress has already acted on, you said.

MR. FLEISCHER: Correct.

Q Why not do something on the three that they haven't?

MR. FLEISCHER: Laws have to be passed in order for action to be
taken. Congress must act. Congress' failure to act -- and in this
case, the House acted, the Senate did not. The Senate has failed to
move on the domestic agenda.

Q Can you help us out with which two Congress has acted on or
which three they haven't, those of us that don't remember what his
pension security --

MR. FLEISCHER: That will be part of the radio address tonight.

Q Why is rule making such a -- why is that news making? You
have to make rules anyway to implement the law. So --

MR. FLEISCHER: Because without the rules, the pensions aren't
protected. Congressional action alone doesn't protect a pension, but
congressional action gives authority to the executive branch to take
the steps necessary to protect people's pensions.

Q So it's standard operating procedure that you then go make
rules, it's just you're going to make also news at the same time by --

MR. DECKARD: Monday morning the President will sign the Sudan
Peace Act in the Roosevelt Room. That afternoon the President will
meet with the NATO Secretary General in the Oval Office.

Tuesday the President will travel to Downingtown, Pennsylvania and
Bangor, B-a-n-g-o-r, Maine, where he will make remarks at welcome
rallies before returning to Washington, D.C.

Wednesday the President will participate in a roundtable and make
remarks on child exploitation at the White House. Thursday the
President will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, Columbia, South
Carolina, and Auburn, Alabama, to make remarks at welcome rallies,
before heading to his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Q Can you do that one again?

MR. DECKARD: Yes, ma'am. Thursday, the President will travel to
Charlotte, North Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina and Auburn,
Alabama, to make remarks at welcome rallies before heading to his ranch
in Crawford, Texas.

Friday, the President and Mrs. Bush will host the President of
China and Mrs. Wang at Prairie Chapel Ranch. The two Presidents will
have a private meeting, and then their wives will join them for a
social lunch.

Saturday morning the President will depart for Los Cabos, Mexico,
for the 10th APEC leaders meeting.